Religion
'Overview' Three different groups have come to be worshiped as gods throughout the course of mortal history. First there were the deities, who created the mortal races as well as shaped the surface of the world. Then there are the demon lords, evil beings who live deep under the surface of the world with their dark armies. And then there are the dragon martyrs, who saved the mortal races from conquest from the demon lords. 'The Dragons' Worship of a single dragon martyr is the most common form of religion. It is impossible to worship more than one dragon because they are at war with one another. The three martyrs are Vesta, Astraea, and Solon. Dragons are worshiped in temples presided over by a cleric. The head of all the clerics in a particular order is the Grand Cleric. They preside in Great Temple of their martyr, located at the foot of the dragon's cavern. At these temples the clerics spread their martyr's teaching and the loyal bring tributes to prove their devotion. A worshiper's standing in the church is directly proportional to the amount of his tributes. The three dragon martyrs are Vesta, the Red Dragon, Astraea, the White Dragon, and Solon, the Blue Dragon. Vesta is also known as the Dragon of the Inferno. She preaches that life is a quest for power and for personal strength. Vesta teaches her followers advanced tactics of war and tells them to live every day to be stronger than the day before. Vesta's clerics are all skilled in the ways of martial combat. Her temples double as training grounds and barracks for her troops. Her direct hand in the training and guiding of her armies has given her forces the advantage in battle many times. Astraea is known as Astraea the Just or Astraea the Pure. He preaches the ways of law, loyalty, and honor. Astraea's influence and teachings were behind many mortal leaders over the past few centuries and has a great impact in the shaping of nations and writing of laws. When the wars between the dragons began many human kings quickly swore their alliance to Astraea, and he currently possesses the largest mortal armies. Not everyone is happy under his rule, however, as the methods he preaches to uphold the law can border on the extreme. Solon is also known as Solon the Wise. He himself is on a quest for infinite knowledge and he enjoys sharing what he has learned with his followers. His clerics are required to study libraries full of information and are tasked with solemn duty of spreading their knowledge with the faithful. Many clerics specialize in the learning and teachings of the magics. Solon thus commands many powerful mages within the ranks of his mortal armies, which has allowed him to hold substantial land in the continent, despite having far fewer troops than either of his rivals. The structure of dragon society differs from martyr to martyr, but some basic principles remain the same. The martyr sits at the top as leader and god. The eldest and wisest of the martyr's family are next in the leadership chain, followed by the younger members of the family, and then dragons outside the immediate family of the martyr. The highest mortal rank, usually held by a human, is that of the Dragon Speaker. The Dragon Speaker is assisted by several translators and are tasked with translating the commands of the martyr from the draconic language to the languages of the mortal races. They are one of the few mortals who will ever get to speak with a dragon martyr personally. Underneath them is a Grand Cleric, who oversees all the temples of their martyr. It should be noted that amongst the dragons themselves they seem to hold respect for an even greater dragon god, referred to as “Pandra.” However details of this dragon are not shared with the mortal races. 'The Deities' Worship of the old deities is not completely forgotten. While many of the great churches of the old times now lay in ruin, including the now lost Grand Church of the Three, several small churches have many to survive the test of time, being maintained by their priests. Priests spread the word of all three deities, though most churches are constructed in reverence to a single one. Churches of Yoldande preach the power of creation and the value of life, as well as the necessity of death in all things. Churches of Themis preach morality, the love and preservation of nature, and treating one another with respect. Churches of Yonatan preach righteousness and the willingness to defend one's beliefs. The churches have seen a small resurgence of popularity in the recent years. The constant warring between the dragons which has caused much devastation to the mortal races has caused many to turn away from the idea of dragons being gods and turn back to the deities for help. 'The Demon Lords' A small number of those with dark hearts and wild ambitions turn to worship the demon lords. These demon lords promise great power and reward to those followers who help them return to the world of the surface to rule once more. The demons cults worship in small underground lairs, the leadership of which is unclear to those outside the group. Much is unknown about these demon lords as well, with the exception of three names: Levithin, Beil, and Lucefe. 'Favored Weapons' Astraea: Greatsword, Battleaxe, Greataxe Solon: Quarterstaff, Shortspear, Longspear Vesta: Club, Greatclub, Mace (Light and Heavy) Themis: Shortsword, Longsword, Bastard Sword Yoldande: Shortbow, Longbow, Dagger Yonatan: Lance (Light and Heavy), Glaive, Halberd Beil: Rapier, Scimitar, Falchion Lucefe: Sickle, Scythe, Kama Levithin: Flail (Light and Heavy), Morningstar, Warhammer Category:Oldands Setting